James p



(No Model.)

2 Sl1eets -Sheet 1 J. F. GONOVBR & W. BROWN.

Piano'Porte.

Patented April 19, l88ls. F1

fnvenor s:

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

J. F. CONOVER & W. BROWN.

Piano Forte. No. 240,234. Patented April 19,1881.

H A g Attest Jhven 601 's UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEO JAMES F. OONOVEBAND WILLIAM BROWN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI; SAID BROWVN ASSIGNOR TO SAIDOONOVER.

PIANO-FORTE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,234, dated April19, 1881.

Application filed July 19, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES F. OONOVER andWILLIAM BROWN, both of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Piano-Fortes, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

The invention is shown and described as applied to an upright piano.

The first part of our invention consists in the combination, with thesounding-board, of a resonating-bar, which is glued to and extendsentirely across the sounding-board, and upon which the flangedbass-bridge and the lower end of the long bridge are securely fastened.This construction gives a strong and sonorous tone to the stringsresting upon the lower portion of the long bridge, and imparts to theoverstrung bass a resonant, singing quality of tone, and overcomes orobliterates the abrupt transition between the different divisions of thescale, making it smooth and even throughout the register.

The second part of our invention relates to the action-frame and mannerof supporting the same, and comprises a horizontal metal rail oraction-supporter attached directly to the iron plate of the piano, andhaving upwardly-curved fingers with conical ends, which entercountersinks in the lower ends of tubular metallic standards or hangers,whose upper ends are secured to the iron plate by a detachable coupling,and which give support to the wooden action-rails and the metallichammer-rail. The direct attachment of these parts to the iron plate ofthe piano imparts great solidity to the action, and maintains, under allclimaticinfiuences,thenormalrelative position of the action to thestrings. The standards or hangers are four, more or less, in number.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a part elevation of the sound-board, ironplate, bridges, and action-frame, with the brackets or standards. Fig. 2is an enlarged section at x m. Fig. 2% is a section at 00 m. Fig. 3 is atransverse section of the hammer-rail at m 00 Fig. 4 is a side view ofthe action standard or bracket, showing the rails and part of theironplate (No model.)

and tension-bar in section at m 00 Fig. 5 is a detail section, showingthe manner of attaching the upper end of the action-brackets to the ironplate. Fig. 6 is a detail section, showing the attachment of the lowerends of the actionbrackets to the action-supporting rail.

The sound-board is shown at A A.

a a. is the resonating-bar, of wood, extending the whole length of thesound-board, and glued fast to the face of the same. This bar runs in anoblique direction, and to it are firmly attached the bass-bridgeB andthe lower end, 0, of the long bridge 0.

D is the tension-bar. This is ordinarily secured to the wrest-plank E bywood-screws, which form a means of conducting the musical vibrationsfrom the strings to the frame, causing some of the efi'ect to be lost.

Fis the iron stiffeningplate. This plate has upon its surface(preferably cast thereupon) beadsfandf, the former one of whichconstitutes a customary bridge. The strings pass over the beads and areheld down upon them by the tension-bar D. The tension-bar is held inposition by machine-screws, which screw into the metal plate, and haveno direct connection with the wrest-plank. By this construction thevibrations are more perfectly confined to the strings and sound-board.

G is the action-supporting rail. This rail is horizontal, and attachedto the iron plate F by flanges gand screws screwing into the plate. Thebar G has a number of upwardly-curved fingers, g, ending each in aconical top, 9 fitting the countersink h in the lower end of thestandard or bracket H, to which the action is connected. The standardsH, I prefer to make tubular. Their upper ends are curved inward andscrew-threaded, to receive a coupling-nut or screw-cap, L, through theend of which passes ascrew, J, which is screwed into the metal plate F.The screw may remain fixed in the metal plate while the action is beingremoved, it being only necessary to unscrew the nuts I until thestandards are released at the upper ends, when their lower ends may belifted from the fingers g and the whole action removed.

K K are the horizontal wooden rails to which the action is directlyconnected. These rails are attached to the'standards H, which serve tohold them in position.

L is the ham mer-rail, connected to the standards H by hinged bracketsM, which admit of raisin g to throw forward the rail. The novelty inthis applies to the construction of the rail proper. It consists of achannel-bar, Z, of platemetal, bent at its middle into a hollow bead, l,to receive and hold a lip, of cloth attached to a felt orcloth cushion,Z lying in the channel of the rail. In constructing the rail, the lip ofcloth is attached longitudinally to the inner side of the cushion andthe rail sprung back to open the mouth of the head 6. Then the lip isinserted in the cavity and the mouth of the bead allowed to close uponit.

We claim as our invention 1. The combination, with the sound-board A ofapiano, of the resonating-bar a a and bridges B O, constructed andarranged to op- 20 erate as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The standards H, rails Gr, rail L, hinged brackets M, and plate F,combined and arranged substantially as set forth.

JAMES F. GONOVER. M. BROWN.

